Talavadi: A bone of contention

Talavadi has always been a bone of contention between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, since a majority of the people living in the area are Kannada speaking.

There have been repeated attempts by Kannada activists to include this region in Karnataka and several jail baro agitations in the past.

A constant refrain of the locals is that Tamil Nadu is neglecting the area, since the majority are Kannadaigas. Hence, the locals too are pressing for inclusion in Karnataka.

Kannada film legend Dr Rajakumar is from Gajanur village, which is a part of the Talavadi block. Of late he has taken keen interest in developing his ancestral property, and build a bungalow recently.

Dr Rajakumar is a symbol of Kannada pride. In fact he has provided leadership to numerous Kannada movements in the past.

His kidnap from Talavadi has added fuel to several burning issues between the two states. The fact that the police showed no sensitivity after the kidnap on Sunday night, has further fuelled the hostility.

Yesterday's incident, when locals locked the Talavadi police station is an indication of the growing frustration.

Veerappan being a Tamil speaking man belonging to Karnataka, these hostile emotions are bound multiply.